Nut-lock



J. H. BROWN.

NUT LOCK. APPLgcATloN msn Dic. 31. |915.

1,194,944. vFatemiAllg. 15,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

' v :WE1/ron er @Za/Ml 9T MZ ,m0/Mfrs J. H. BROWN. NUT LOCK. APPLICATION FILED Dic. 3l. m5r

1, 1 94,944'. Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- JAMES HOYT BROWN,` OF DENVER, COLORADO.

NUT-Loox.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

v Application led December 31, 1915. Serial No. 69,576.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HoYT BROWN, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and' State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Locks, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to nut locks.

The object of the invention is to devise a construction ofl nut lock which is eflicient and positive in action, simple in form, inexpensive to make, easy to apply, capable of being packed in small bulk, light in weight, removable when desired without injury to a thread, and which in addition to its function as a nut'lock possesses a further function as a substitute and threadless nut.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds the invention resides in the features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the features, combination and arrangement can be made within the scope and as indicated by the variation in the phraseology, of the dierent claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention. y

In the accompanying drawing forming part of the specification: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a bolt, a nut,

' and my improved device asit appears before it is screwed entirely home; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the improved device screwed home; Fig. 3 is a plan viewA of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the improved device; Fig. 5 isa view similar to ig. 1, showing a modification; Fig. 6 is a-plan view of the modification shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the mod i'ication shown in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a vlew similar to Fig. 1 of a second modification; Fig. 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the second modification; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the second modification; and Fig. 11 is a plan view of a third modication.

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawing. Referring toV Fi s.`1, 2 and 3, the reference numeral 1 in icates a bolt, 2 a nut and A the improved locking device. The locking device A comprises a lbody portion 3 having therein an approximately circularv opening 4. As indicated by the dotted lines 1n Flg. 3, the diameter ofthe opening 4 is less than the diameter of the circle 5, which 1s defined by the outside circumference of the threaded portion of the bolt and is greater 1n diameter than the diameter of the clrcle 6 defined by the inside circumference of the threaded portion of the bolt. In other words, in Fig. 3, the numeral 5 indicates the circle formed by the outer edge of thethread of the bolt. The dotted circle 6 lndlcates the innermost portion or root of the thread, and the circle 4 indicates the opening in the body 3 of the nut lock. By proportioning the opening in the nut lock so that `it is larger than the root of the thread and smaller than the circle formed by the periphery of the thread, it is found 1n practice that the body portion 3 can be@v applled to the thread of the bolt and screwed down thereon. This action is due to the of the opening 4 being located outside of the periphery of the thread of the bolt and crosslng one of the threads in a diagonal direction.

By' examining the three circles shown in Fig. 3,.it will be observed that at the left hand side of said figure the edge of the opening 4 inthe nut lock is disposed in the root of the thread; the portions of the opening 4 which are shown respectively at the top and bottom of Fig. 3 areV still locked in the space between two threads, but are slightly spaced away from the root thereof; and the portion' of the opening in the body portion 3 which is located at the right hand side of e over the bolt and turning the device down as though it were a nut, the .device assumes an inclined position with regard` to the bolt, the body portion 3 being substantially parallel with the pitch or inclination ofthe threads of the bolt. After the nut ylock is screwed down suiiiciently far to permit its lowest point to engage the nut which is to be locked, a continued turning movement on the nut lock causes it to become positively the thread as shown in Fig. 1. As soon as one side of the body portion 4 tries to ride out of the root of the thread the opposite portion of said plate 3 is drawn in tightly against the thread of the bolt at that portion of the thread which is crossed diagonally` by the bodyportion 3. It is possible to screw the nut lock down flat or substantially flat against the nut, as shown in Fig. 2, and in this position the device and the nut are firmly locked together. i

In addition to the locking action which I secure by making the opening 4 in the body portion 3 slightly larger in diameter than the circle formed by the root of the thread and slightly smaller in diameter than the circle formed by the outer periphery of the thread, I secure a further locking action, in the modification shown in Figs. 1 to 4 by turning up two arms 11 and 12 on the body portion 3, the upper ends of'which arms engage on the threads of the bolt. These arms have suiicient resiliency to accommodate the bolt. The outer portions of the arms 11 and l2 serve to be engaged by a wrench in applying the device and for this same purpose the remaining two edges of the substantially rectangular body portion 3 are turned up as indicated at 13 and 14.

The second modification shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is the same as the first form of the invention, except that the arm 11 is omitted and a straight side 15 is employed to receive a wrench, making three straight sides and one spring side as shown clearly in Fig. 7

The third modification shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 is the same as the rst form of the invention, except that both of the inturned arms 11 and 12 are omitted, and in their places are used the straight sides 16, thus producing a body portion having four Aupstanding` sides to receive the wrench and depending for its locking action on the opening in the body portion 3. The inner edge of the Jopening 4 in this modification is sharpened or brought down to a knife edge corresponding to the wedge shape in the groove of the bolt. When the device is screwed home against the nut, the sharpened edge of the opening 4 serves slightly i to cut into the thread-of the bolt at that portion whichis crossed diagonallyV by the body'portion 1, thus positively 'locking the device in position. In practical use it is found that this engagement between one' portion of the edge ofV the opening 4 and one portion of the thread of the nut holds quired.

The construction shown in Fig. 11 is thel same as that shown in Fig. 9, except that the opening 4a in the body portion 3a is slightly oval. In this form a line taken across the narrowestv portion of the oval is slightly longer than the diameter of the root of the thread and slightly shorter than the diameter of the outer periphery of the thread, with the result that the device can be iitted over the bolt and screwed down against a nut when it reacts from the inclined position into a position parallel with the upper face of the nut, in which position it is tightly in engagement with the threads pf llie bolt and serves as an efficient nut The device of this invention is strong, simple and inexpensive in construction as well as thoroughly efficient and practical in operation. It can be used not only to lock a nut., but it is also ca able of use as a substitute nut where liglht work only is re- What is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with a threaded bolt and a nut or other body mounted thereon and having a flat upper face extending at right angles to the bolt, of a. nut lock comprising a body portion having a continuous fiat surface to be turned against the flat surface of the nut or the like, thus tending to move the fiat surfaces into approxlmate parallelism with each other when the device isturned home, said nut lock body having a substantially circular nonthreade`d opening therein with a continuous unbroken edge located normally in a plane parallel with the fiat surface of the said body, said edge being narrow enough to fit into the groove of the bolt around substantially three-quarters of its circumference the remaining quarter of said edge crossing one of the bolt threads in a diagonal direction sufficiently close to hold the other three-quarters of the edge in place within the thread oove.

2. The combination with a threaded bolt and a nut or other body mounted thereon and having a flat upper face extending at right angles to the bolt, of a nut lock com rising a body portion having a continuous at surface to e turned against the flat surface of the nut or the like, thus tending to move said fiat surfaces into approximate parallelism with e'ach other when the device is turned home, saidA nut lock body having a substantially circular non-threaded opening therein with a continuous unbroken edge located normally in a plane parallel with the flat surface of said body, said edge bein narrow enough to fit into the groove of the olt around substantially three-quarters of its circumference, the remaining quarterV of said edge crossing one of the bolt threadsin a diagonal direction sufliciently close tophold the other three-quarters of the edge in place Within the thread groove, said nut lock b ody having a slightly resilient arm extending therefrom and engaging the bolt thread, the tension of said arm being altered When the angle of said body portion-islehanged by screwing it home against the nut or other body.

3. The combination. with a threaded bolt and a nut or other body mounted thereon and having a iiat upper face extending at right angles to the bolt, of a nut lock Vcomprising a body portion having a continuous flat surface to be turned against the fiat surface of the nut or the like, thus tending to move the flat surfaces into approximate parallelism With each other when the device/is turned home, said nut lock body having a .substantially circular non-threaded opening bolt around substantially three-quarters of its circumference, the remaining quarter of said edge crossing one of the lbolt threads in a diagonal direction sufficiently close to hold the other three-quarters of the edge in place Within the groove, said body having aplurality of slightly resilient arms extending therefrom and engaging the bolt thread, the tension of said arms being altered when the angle of said body is changed by screwing it home, the continuous unbroken edge of said opening in the nut lock body being brought down substantially to a knife edge.

In testimony whereof, I., JAMES HoY'r BROWN, have signed my name to this specification this th day of December, 1915.

` JAMES HOYT BROWVN. 

